1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns firefighting installations for floating roof hydrocarbon storage tanks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
French patent No. 83 15 140 of 23 Sept. 1983 describes an installation for fighting fires in floating roof storage tanks, said installation comprising a series of vertical pipes disposed regularly around the storage tank and connected to a pressurized water supply through emulsifying agent feed means, each pipe carrying at its free end a sprayer including a backplate into which the free end of the pipe discharges and a cover plate substantially parallel to the backplate, a dispensing slot being formed between the backplate and the cover plate between which deflectors are inserted.
Following numerous trials, various installations have been provided with an arrangement of this kind which are functioning perfectly, but in the case of very large storage tanks sprayers of this kind cannot be used as they must be placed near the upper edge of the tanks and very large storage tanks incorporate a floating roof which projects beyond the upper edge when they are full.
The invention is directed to a new sprayer which can be disposed at a height such that it does not impede upward movement of the floating roof but which nevertheless directs a flat jet of foam along the inside wall of the tank.